5 of 7Interior buttons are fewer, replaced by a 12-inch display for the main instruments and an 8-inch touchscreen for infotainment.

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6 of 7The interior is accented by hand-stitched leather and hand-dyed veneers.

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7 of 7A new available moonroof opens up the greenhouse, and rear legroom was increased by 4.7 inches.

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Oh wait, we're going up there?

Gazing up at the rutted side of a canyon in Utah near Lake Powell, while our instructor, Ken, asked us to defy gravity, we felt a hint of doubt in the 2013 Range Rover. Ken just nodded reassuringly and gave us directional arrows with his hands.

With steady acceleration (“teach” complimented our right foot) in the ridiculously adept new SUV from Land Rover, we eased up the façade, and entered the thrilling club of off-roaders, all in a car that cost almost as much as the houses in many suburban neighborhoods.

Most Range Rovers stick to roads in ritzy communities because owners wouldn't dream of putting these luxury SUVs through their paces, even though they are more than capable. That doesn't sit well with Land Rover engineers, so they have made the all-new Range Rover a novice off-roader's dream with such amenities as air suspension, electric-assisted steering, strong brakes and a terrain-response system that can identify ground conditions, adjusting vehicle settings automatically.

With our instructor co-pilot, we took off in a caravan through Utah's Hog Canyon. The Rover glided through 6 inches of snow unfazed. In fact, the ute completed the route so effortlessly that we felt as if we missed out on some of the fun.

But our Land Rover guides were more than enthusiastic about giving us another chance at more challenging runs once we got out of the snow. That's when the gravity defying began.

This is only the fourth time the Range Rover has been redesign since its debut more than 40 years ago. An important new component is an all-aluminum unibody structure that helps cut weight by 700 pounds. The 2013 Rover has better fuel economy than its predecessors, to go with improved stiffness and handling.

U.S. market engines are a pair of 5.0-liter V8s: One is naturally aspirated to make 375 hp, while a supercharged version nets 510 hp.

When we weren't tackling snow, mud or ruts, we hustled briskly around Utah's expansive highways and curving canyon roads. Here, we learned that the naturally aspirated V8 is a treat, moving the 4,850-pound SUV along with a meaty growl. Bump up to the supercharged engine and the SUV becomes even more badass. Torque is strong while the engine remains smooth. It's grin-inducing, and a lot of fun.

The new air suspension reduces roll, making this generation better suited to truly enthusiastic driving.

And if you want the Range Rover for the luxury, you won't be disappointed. The interior is beautiful, accented by hand-stitched leather and hand-dyed veneers. Buttons are fewer, replaced by a 12-inch display for the main instruments and an 8-inch touchscreen for infotainment. A new available moonroof gives the greenhouse an expansive feel, and rear legroom was increased by 4.7 inches. The cabin is sleeping-baby quiet, except when you fire up all eight cylinders and the growl reverberates.

For the option-seekers: There are 37 exterior colors, 17 interior colors, three wood veneers and eight different wheel styles.

Off-roading in the Range Rover is a thrill, and reserving it only for the school drop-off rotation seems sacrilegious. Go on, try it. You'll be surprised what it can do.